Anger over beating meted out by Emmanuel Macron’s bodyguard to student

Anger over beating meted out by Emmanuel Macron’s bodyguard to student

Alexandre Benalla was suspended and had his duties changed over the incident in May which has only just emerged.

Emmanuel Macron, flanked by his bodyguard, Alexandre Benalla, right, shakes hands with supporters as he campaigns in Rodez in his presidential campaign (Christophe Ena/AP)

A video showing one of French President Emmanuel Macron’s security chiefs beating a student demonstrator is provoking a fierce public backlash.

Anger has been directed towards what is seen as a mild punishment and a possible cover-up for the incident which had been cloaked in secrecy.

The video of the May 1 event in Paris, revealed by Le Monde on Wednesday evening, shows Alexandre Benalla in a helmet with police markings, and surrounded by riot police, brutally dragging off a woman from a demonstration and then repeatedly beating a young man on the ground.

France’s prime minister Edouard Philippe, responding to questions in the Senate, called the event “shocking”, but stumbled to respond to questions, notably whether all French are equal before the law.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said that the two men “obviously had no legitimate (reason) to intervene”.

He said he has demanded that a police unit which investigates suspected criminal behaviour by officers explain the rules for observers and verify whether they were respected.

French president Emmanuel Macron speaks next to France’s World Cup winning coach Didier Deschamps during an official reception at the Elysee (Ludovic Marin/AP)

Condemning the “unacceptable behaviour”, Mr Macron’s spokesman Bruno Roger-Petit said Mr Benalla was also removed from his responsibilities of organizing security for presidential trips, though he maintains his office at the Elysee Palace.

In addition, authorities launched a preliminary investigation that could lead to charges against Mr Benalla.

Despite this, Mr Benalla has been seen this month on the ground with police at several high-profile events, including the return home Monday of France’s winning World Cup team, an event attended by hundreds of thousands.

Mr Macron, in the Dordogne region to officially launch a new postage stamp, did not respond to questions about the scandal.

The upstart centrist elected last year had promised an exemplary presidency during his term to break with unending cases of corruption in French politics.

Mr Roger-Petit said the punishment dealt out to Benalla was the “most serious” ever given to a top aide at the presidential Elysee Palace and served as a “last warning before dismissal”.

Opposition politicians expressed shock, with some denouncing a climate of impunity at the top of the French political hierarchy and asking Mr Macron to personally address the issue.

The head of France’s main conservative party The Republicans, Laurent Wauquiez, asked on Europe 1 radio if the government was trying to “hush the affair”.